
The harder I tried to resist, the faster my body caved.
Thorns of Desire, an all-new dark mafia romance from bestselling author Eva Winners is now available!
A devil in a Brioni suit.
My unforgettable one-night stand.
And a notorious member of the OmertĂ empire.
I learned that last piece of information a bit too late.
I never expected to see him again after our encounter so long ago. But it turns out that destiny had other plans and gave me the whole of him for several incredible hours.
Then I bolted againâfor the second time in my life.
He was Manuel Marchetti.
Off-limits. Forbidden. Dangerous.
So then why was I unable to forget him?
My body and soul came alive only for him. I hoped Iâd never see him again, but it wasnât meant to be. Everywhere I went, the man was thereâstealing kisses, making promises, and painting streets red.
He seemed to delight in pushing my buttons and demanding more. Much to my dismay, it seemed I was unable to resist him.
Then, a chance encounter required his protection. He swept me away to his remote Italian castle and I could feel my resolve cracking under his burning gaze and searing touch.
The harder I tried to resist, the faster my body caved.
With each passing day, I was starting to realize that by the end of it all, Iâd be the one succumbing.
Either by the secrets surrounding my life or under his consuming touch.

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I opened my mouth and screamed. I didnât stop until my lungs burned. Until my voice cracked and my ears rang.
My raw screams must have angered the gods because a flash of lightning cracked across the skyâfurious and blindingâand the earth shook. The breeze swept through, barely touching my heated skin, the glimpses of the sky and bending branches still in my sight.
Shoved into a casket, the splintered wood pressed into my palms, digging beneath my nails, but the pain didnât compare to the suffocating terror. I thrashed back and forth, my head swiveling left and right, every fiber of me desperate to escape this nightmare.
Except nobody was coming.
Gasping and panting, I attempted to pull myself upright but failed miserably. A chuckle sounded, ominous and dark, and I whipped my head to find three faces staring down at me with revulsion.
There were no more masks, but it didnât matter. I recognized their voices. These were the same men whoâd come into our apartment a mere week ago, threatening Mom.
Why didnât we run away? Why didnât we hide?
âWh-where is my mother?â I said through clattering teeth.
One of them crouched down and gripped my chin.
âYou better worry about yourself, girl. Welcome to your grave,â he said, his smile twisted and his eyes glittering with malice.
âWhy?â I rasped, shuddering in the small box. âI want my mother.â
The blow that followed had my head flying to the side, my ears ringing as pain ripped through my cheek. I reached my bound wrists up, smearing the sticky, hot liquid that dripped down my faceâblood and tears.
He clasped my chin between rough fingers again and spoke with malevolence. âDid my sister get to call for her mother before she was burned alive?â I blinked, my heart thundering painfully. I didnât understand the words he spat at me. I didnât know his sister. âSister for a daughter. You will burn in this casket.â
He grabbed my hair, twisting it around his fist, and soon another punch followed. My head smacked against the wood, the air rushing out of me as I gasped. Breathe. Breathe. I canât breathe.
I dug my jagged fingernails into his wrist. I fought, but it was all for naught. I was weak and in more pain than I ever thought possible.
My screams turned to cries before finally dissolving into raspy, pathetic breaths. But my body wasnât ready to give in. I tried to crawl out of the box. I needed to live. I needed my mother. I neededâ â
I didnât know. I just knew I couldnât die like this. Hopelessly, I choked for air, sobbing for my mother. For anyone who was willing to save me.
But nobody came.
A man yanked me by my hair, forcing me down into the box. I pushed and twisted, fighting with all I had. A third man came around and held me down before the wood top slowly started to shut.
I stared helplessly, watching the slivers of gray sky disappear. I focused on its beauty, sent a prayer up above. To whom, I didnât know, but I hoped someone would hear it.
I inhaled a deep breath, the salt in the air soothing the pain in my soul as the waves lulled me toward my final resting place.
I let the cold, dark reality sink in. This was the end. It wasnât fair, but nobody had asked me. It was the reality of life.
So I closed my eyes and started humming to fill the eerily quiet and darkness. Anything to drive fear from my mind. And I didnât stop. Not when the anguish licked at my skin. Not when the fire ignited.
I would hum until death came for me.

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